When the Los Angeles Lakers reflect on the 2024-25 NBA season, few will remember it in a negative light. Difficult decisions were made, including the trades that sent out long-time Lakers such as Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell, but it was all in the spirit of building a contender for this and future seasons.
One of the moves that Los Angeles could come to regret, however, began well before a trade was executed: The decision to give up on Jalen Hood-Schifino.
The Lakers selected Hood-Schifino at No. 17 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. Despite thriving in the G League, the former Indiana Hoosiers standout struggled to find consistent playing time in Los Angeles under both Darvin Ham and JJ Redick.
The latter admittedly seemed inevitable to transpire after the front office shockingly decided to decline his third-year club option before the 2024-25 season could gain any discernable traction.
Fast forward roughly three months months and the Lakers made their decision to give up on Hood-Schifino official. They included him in the package that landed Luka Doncic in Los Angeles, albeit as more of a throwaway inclusion who was soon thereafter waived by the Utah Jazz.
With nothing else to play for but the future, the Philadelphia 76ers have added Hood-Schifino to their roster—and the results have been intriguing.
Jalen Hood-Schifino finally playing NBA minutes with the 76ers
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Hood-Schifino has appeared in eight games since the 76ers signed him to a two-way contract on Mar. 1. During that time, he's turned in a series of performances that the Lakers never quite enabled him to produce.
That includes three games during which he scored upwards of 12 points despite only once exceeding 30 minutes played.
The breakout moment for Hood-Schifino arrived on Mar. 16, when he dropped 19 points in 23 minutes during a win over the Dallas Mavericks. The next time out, he tallied 12 points and two steals in an overtime loss to the Houston Rockets.
Hood-Schifino's scoring declined over the next two games, but he tallied nine assists in less than 47 combined minutes during those outings.
In his most recent performance, Hood-Schifino put up 18 points, five assists, two rebounds, one block, and a steal against the Toronto Raptors. In an eight-game span, he's already scored in double-figures three times and tallied two different games with five assists.
Hood-Schifino is averaging 9.3 points and 2.6 assists in 22.5 minutes per game, which translates to 14.8 points and 4.8 assists per 36 minutes, with the 76ers.
Still just 21 years of age, it's hard to believe a team would give up on a talented young player so soon. The Lakers' past financial mistakes caught up to them, however, and declining his club option thus became a necessary [path toward creating new opportunities](https://lakeshowlife.com/dorian-finney-smith-everyone-thinking-lakers-postseason-push).
One simply can't help but wish Hood-Schifino the best and wonder if the Lakers really gave him [the tools to succeed](https://lakeshowlife.com/lakers-playoff-push-has-left-dalton-knecht-behind).